Bob consumes a total of 3230 unhealthy calories a day, we assume he is a very heavy person & needs to lose a bit of body fat.

How many calories are in a pound? There are 3500 calories per pound.

Bob should eliminate one unhealthy item from the above, & replace it with something better for him. Every week, Bob will continue to eliminate one unhealthy item & replace it with something better. Bob does not have to choose something with fewer calories, but he must choose something healthier. If Bob switches his large sprite at dinnertime to a cup of water, he eliminates 310 calories, right away heís on the path to success, 1100/1410 calories.

Why not replace everything unhealthy with something healthy right away?

You must take baby steps. The body only adapts with patience. If you were to replace everything you eat that is unhealthy too soon, to something that is healthy, you will gain body fat. Your body is extremely complex, & if forced to instantly adapt, it will fight back & win.

ďYour body is a lawn mower. It will not run with an empty tank, or with the wrong gas. It will break down earlier if you are too rough with it. You must raise & lower your wheels when you have to. If your always cutting short, your going to cause harm to someoneís lawn, or even your own. If youíre cutting too high, you will be overwhelmed when asked to cut lower next time, causing you to lose your motivation.Ē

If you are craving a bag of chips, go for it, donít restrict yourself if you feel really tempted. It is possible for you to lose weight by eating junk once in awhile. You can eat healthy for a few weeks, & suddenly eat an entire birthday cake to find yourself feeling healthier & with a lower body fat percentage.

Your metabolism is a fire. You can throw it vegetables & lean meat & get a beautiful flame, but once in awhile youíll need to add some junk in there to raise the flames. Your metabolism loves healthy food, but it also likes to be fooled. By constantly eating healthy your metabolism adapts & understands what it is used to. Itís a great thing, but in fact it has slowed down, itís not working as hard as it could be. Eat a bit of junk & it will wake up & have a new set of instructions, it will fire up & go crazy. Your metabolism will be at work 110% trying to store whatís needed from the junk you've consumed, & the excess will be eliminated. This is also a great time to have a black coffee & go for a light jog!

Another way for you to keep your metabolism working 110% is to split up your meals. We are all used to eating 3 large meals a day, breakfast, lunch, & dinner. What you should do is, portion your 3 large meals into 6 small meals. After you've have breakfast, your metabolism will be asleep 30 minutes after youíve eaten, waiting for lunchtime. When your metabolism is asleep, it is actually storing fat. Go ahead & eat your full breakfast, you have been asleep for quite awhile & your body needs it.

What you must do now is consume something small 3 hours after breakfast & 3 hours after that, continuously until you are home & in bed! Make sure your lightest meal is before bedtime. If you eat heavy & unhealthy before bed, it feels great & helps you sleep, but your body will store it as fat when youíre snoozing. Which is something we don't want, right?

_____________________________

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC & BELIEVE IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXIST, PLEASE SAY SO! ;)

swstout

06-03-2009, 12:17 AM

Your first misconception is to eat a small meal before bedtime. Calories can't tell time. The digestion process takes 12 to 14 hours. It's your blood sugar that regulates metabolism. The process is called the hypothalamic glycogenic process. My wife is an MSN (Mater of Science in Nursing) and a certified nutritionist.

The 6 small meals instead of 3 large meals works with the above mentioned system! And you are right, occasional diversions to junk food does prime the system. My wife advocates a 6 day diet! On the 7th day - splurge. first, it gives you something to look forward to and 2nd, When the body is deprived of what it is used to if goes into starvation mode and converts all calories to fat for future energy storage. The 6 day diet does not put the body into the defensive starvation mode and the splurge primes the metabolism.

Going fat free is also dangerous. Fat is needed in the digestive system. Studies have proved that people who go fat free have a 80% greater chance of getting ***** cancer (my wife again).

Exercise, working for more than 30 minutes burns calories. Walking, swimming, are easy on the body but tones and invigorates. Lawn care is tougher than either on the body and boosts metabolism.

Steve

CHEESE2009

06-03-2009, 12:57 AM

Your body cannot tell time, fact. However it is a given that you will be asleep & your bodies metabolism will barely be active, burning calories.

I also agree with you on fat consumption. People who consume a fair amount of healthy fat have a greater chance at lowering unhealthy body fat percentage.

I will clear up the situation a little. I used to train hardcore athletes & people who enjoy the boot camp atmosphere.

I have never trained persons with diabetes or other cases without speaking to their doctor first. There have been several occasions where I have had to tell clients I cannot continue with them because they were not following their doctors orders & could cause several problems with my business.

So I have discontinued with elderly folks & started to focus on young adults.

I would like to point out that my advice is not for everybody, & seriously not for those with deep conditions.

Thank you for pointing this out Swstout!

CHEESE2009

06-03-2009, 12:58 AM

A great looking body doesnít come from fitness magazines, to achieve a great figure & optimal health you should purchase a nutrition & vitamins fact book. This enables you to have an idea about what you are eating, & what you could be lacking.

Supplements are not evil, but you must make the right choice when purchasing & using them.

For someone focusing on lowering their body fat percentage, I would recommend Protein Isolate, it is pure protein with little to no carbohydrates. I personally feel that when I have a protein supplement, which is packed with protein & carbohydrates, I am unsatisfied & feel starved. Protein Isolate supplies my body with the protein it needs to rebuild & maintain the muscle mass I have, & it allows me to choose what carbohydrates I am able to consume, perhaps something that will satisfy my cravings.

A protein supplement is a supplement for regular solid food, itís fast to ready & consume when you are busy at work or school & on a tight budget.

I mentioned earlier that splitting your 3 large meals, breakfast, lunch, & dinner into 6 small meals is great for your metabolism. To create & have 6 meals ready to consume is a pain unless prepared beforehand. Protein supplements will save you time, & rid you of the hassle to cook something up. If you have decided & are now eating 6 small meals daily, it would be wise to consume a protein shake for breakfast with a fair amount of healthy carbohydrates.

Your body does not necessarily need protein when you awake, but the protein shake will enter your system quicker than solid food, waking up your metabolism. After breakfast, 3 hours later you should eat a solid meal. After your solid meal & 3 hours later, you should consume a protein shake with a fair amount of healthy carbohydrates. You need to have the right system between solid & liquid food. If you start the day with solid you should consume liquid next, vice versa. This keeps you from annoying cravings.

Protein shakes can fill you up, but it really tests your mind. If your not biting into something with a crunk, you will continue to crave something more. Continuously consuming liquid will not satisfy your cravings & may cause you to binge on junk food. This is why we have the system.

So we are focusing on lowering body fat percentage. We have an idea about how & when to consume our food, but Iím not ready to let you go just yet!

What should you eat, & when?

Joe wakes up at 7:00am every day. Joe owns a lawn service company & must maintain 15 lawns today. At 3:00pm, Joe is finally at home, relaxing & watching whatever is on television. Hourís later Joe decides to go to sleep.

So we know Joe starts his day on the ball, & then the fire dies out at 3:00pm.

Joe starts the day off heavy, he must load up his gear & start working. It is very important that Joe heads off to work feeling strong, he will be burning off a lot of calories this morning.

Joe can either consume a protein shake with a bowl of oatmeal, or he can pop some whole grain bread in the toaster & slap on some jam.

If Joe consumes a protein shake with a bowl of oatmeal, his metabolism immediately awakens & the oatmeal will be processed giving Joe a boost of energy. This energy will not last long, & Joe will be hungry for more in 10 minutes.

If Joe consumes a couple slices of whole grain toasted bread with a slap of jam, his metabolism will be awakened 20-30 minutes, after he has loaded his gear up for work. The toast will however be broken down slowly, providing Joe with consistent energy, with a feeling of fullness. He will be able to bang out the first few lawns without worrying about any cravings.
Joe has completed 8 lawns already, & he is unaware that 3 hours have past. Joe is the type of person who wants to get the work done, without stopping. If Joe were suck it up & continue banging out lawns, his body will be consuming itself, eating his muscle mass. Joe must not forget to eat every 3 hours to prevent this from happening. Joe may not feel hungry, but his body requires food. So lets continue saying Joe decided to think about his stomach, what should be consuming? He still has 12 more lawns to maintain.

Joe isnít hungry, I couldnít imagine him eating solid food without his stomach turning. Joe will have to rely on a protein shake, with a great amount of healthy carbohydrates, & natural sugar food (banana).

It sounds right for Joe to consume a solid meal, but if he does heíll be falling asleep in no time at all, there are many things to consider.

Joe is now at home, he relaxes by the television. Joe has been active all day, his body has been put to good use. Itís now time for Joe to eat, what should he eat? Joeís metabolism is still active from working.
Joe has nothing else to do but relax now, & heís gaining an appetite. Joe needs to enjoy a solid food, itís time to relax & enjoy a good meal that he can bite into. Another reason for Joe to eat a solid meal is because he will be going to bed soon, & must consume a liquid meal before bed.

TBC

swstout

06-03-2009, 01:18 AM

[quote=BREEZE2009;52462]Your body cannot tell time, fact. However it is a given that you will be asleep & your bodies metabolism will barely be active, burning calories.

When you are asleep your body does all its healing and growing. This takes energy so your bodies metabolism is not barely active. Unless there is an infection your body temp drops while asleep but growth and body stabalization does not stop.

Also, after awakening, you must eat something low calorie and high protein and fiber within 30 minutes to set your metobalism on high. In other words, don't skip breakfast. This is the point where your last meal starts the digestion process.

Steve

p.s. In the words of the great American philophoser Garfield. "Diet is die with a T.

CHEESE2009

06-03-2009, 01:50 AM

The first year of gaining my certificate, I decided to grab the attention of every possible person interested in fitness & health.

I wanted clients who were interested in lowing their body fat percentage, it was something I loved to do. Though being in shape, my clients were giving up saying things like,

ďYouíve looked good forever, you donít know what itís like being me, having to listen to a young athlete whoís never been overweightĒ

I told this client that he was right, & made a deal that would motivate my client & bring me more business.

I told my client that I would live an unhealthy lifestyle, become overweight & unhappy just like he was. My client laughed at me & said I was crazy, so to let him know I was serious, I took him to McDonalds & ordered 6 cheeseburgers & ate every single one of them, telling him every pound I gain, he is to lose!

It was working well, Iíd fold my shirt up to show off my growing belly to create a few laughs. This client was pushing hard & I was so proud of him. I started to feel horrible at what I had promised, but if I give up, my client would for sure give up.

A month & a half later, I weighed 180lbs, the heaviest I have ever been!
My client was still leading with his weight around 220-225lbs.

At this point I was about to crack, but my client decided that I could now train with him, & together we will reach our goal in lowering our body fat percentage.

To make a long story short & 7 1/2 months of training, I was now back at 145lbs.
My client was now at 175-180lbs, exactly where I had started.

I had taken pictures of my weight loss to gain new clients, but after that I had buried these photos. I wish I could show you them, but even with them, that would be one embarrassing & haunting thing to post here.

Sorry if these pictures seem a little... you know.. but I had to offer you guys something! lol...

Just to note, I was not into muscle gaining, but cardio & vascularity, endurance & agility.

CHEESE2009

06-03-2009, 01:59 AM

[quote=BREEZE2009;52462]Your body cannot tell time, fact. However it is a given that you will be asleep & your bodies metabolism will barely be active, burning calories.

When you are asleep your body does all its healing and growing. This takes energy so your bodies metabolism is not barely active. Unless there is an infection your body temp drops while asleep but growth and body stabalization does not stop.

Also, after awakening, you must eat something low calorie and high protein and fiber within 30 minutes to set your metobalism on high. In other words, don't skip breakfast. This is the point where your last meal starts the digestion process.

Steve

p.s. In the words of the great American philophoser Garfield. "Diet is die with a T.

Steve you are right on some level. I cannot argue that the body doesn't do some tasks, but I also didn't advise on skipping dinner.

A light meal will do the trick. At rest our bodies metabolism slows & doesn't burn bf%. Your body takes what it needs throughout the night, & again the metabolism is working but slowly, slow enough that you don't require a large amount of food. You are not awake nor active so why toss another log in the fire when the fire is dead? Toss the water to give it what it needs. It will be more than enough. When your asleep & your body has collected what it needs to repair & other tasks, the rest is no doubt stored as fat, etc.

ALSO, as for breakfast FIBER is an amazing idea, love it. Great to consider.

But protein isn't fully required, what you need is healthy carbs. Carbohydrates is what fuels you. Your calorie intake upon awakening should be higher than all of your meals.

Steve W

06-03-2009, 02:01 AM

damn DUDE, Please stick with pic with the earmuffs LOL!!!!!!

CHEESE2009

06-03-2009, 02:12 AM

damn DUDE, Please stick with pic with the earmuffs LOL!!!!!!

LOL, oh do I have a surprise for you!:D

just kiddin, lmao!!!

******-

While I'm already writing, I'd like to let everyone know Steve is correct on some level. If you were looking to gain muscle mass or are trying to maintain muscle mass eating a large meal is what to recommend before bed. I would go as far as to wake up & eat a few slices of good quality cheese, then head back to sleep.

Sorry for the misunderstanding Steve, I hope we are on the same level now. I am however focusing on people who are willing to lower their body fat % which is where we got mixed up.

! :)

StartALawnCareBusiness

06-03-2009, 03:11 PM

This is a great topic.

I have long been interested in LCO's health concerns as well as safe operating practices. These are topics that need to be covered more. Too many guys are out there not maintaining their health and not protecting themselves on the job. Sections in the lawn care materials are dedicated to these subjects.

Breeze, I'm interested in working on some topics with you if you're up for it.

Hey this is good stuff, keep it up. I am interested in this because I recently (last 3 months or so) began hitting the gym and eating better. I went from 203 to 185. Which is where Im at now. I am 6 ft tall, and have a lot of muscl, real strong etc. I played 4 years of football in high school and learned alot about weight training then.
What I have a hard time doing is picking out good things to eat, you know, what goes good with what (in terms of healthy) and when I go grocery shopping, what do I buy?
Anyway, thanks
Good info.

CHEESE2009

06-04-2009, 10:56 AM

Proper hydration

It is very important for you to stay hydrated. Many people wait until have a feeling of thirst, which is your bodies way of telling you that you need to drink water. You should always avoid waiting for that signal & be hydrated throughout the day. You do not have to drink gallons of water every hour, but have at least a sip every half-hour or as needed.

When your body sends you a message, making you feel thirsty itís a sign that you are going to be in trouble if you donít act soon, & you should have acted earlier. Normally once this signal is received, it is too late for you to instantly help, your body is now already relying on itís own water source. This is where you will become dehydrated.

Once you are dehydrated & have consumed water, you will not be hydrated instantly. Your body is still using itís own source while attempting to fill itself back up with what youíve just consumed, which takes time. Your body is trying to conserve its water at all costs, so donít be shocked if your urine looks irregular, usually darker in color, or if you canít spit.

If you donít hydrate yourself for a long period of time, you will be in serious danger. Your body will stop producing sweat, cause muscle cramps. You will feel lightheaded & even nauseous wanting to vomit. If you happen to vomit from dehydration, your life is at risk. When we vomit, our body expels a great amount of water, not something youíd want. Not only that, but with severe dehydration your heart is increasing, & causing your blood vessels to constrict. At this point, organ failure will be on the rise.

Remember, we only realize that we aren't consuming enough water when our body sends us a thirst signal. Your goal is to avoid that feeling, prevent yourself from dehydration! Carry a small bottle of water wherever you go, fill it up as needed & drink enough but don't overdo it. Too much water can harm your body in several ways.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is very serious as it can lead to a heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is regular in people who are exposed to high temperatures, & common for people working in a hot environment. You may feel sleepy, weak, dizzy, & wanting to faint. You will be sweating buckets, & your skin will become pale & clammy, your muscles will cramp up, etc. If you were to feel your pulse, it will be fast but very weak, & breathing will become a new chore.

If you feel heat exhaustion, you must take action immediately. Get out of the heat & cool yourself off.
If you feel symptoms after 1 hour after cooling yourself off, you should seek medical help before you take a chance with a heat stroke. The worst thing to do is supplement the heat with alcohol, you do not want to become dehydrated! You want to drink cool not alcoholic drinks. Sitting in the shade will help you, also taking a cold shower or even turning the A/C on in your vehicle.

Carpal tunnel Syndrome

In my time as a trainer many of my new clients have told me that they have carpal tunnel syndrome. Now, many people believe that they have it, but itís usually because theyíre not executing the exercise with proper form. For those with carpal tunnel syndrome, you will feel pain while doing biceps curls with a flat barbell. If that is the case, do not use a flat bar. Instead there are bars out there, one called, ďE-Z Curl BarĒ; itís the same concept as the flat bar except it has been slightly modified. You will be able to comfortably lift it, because itís properly angled to take pressure off your wrist.

If you feel a numb, tight, or a sharp pain in your hand, wrist, or arm, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. If the case is continuous & at random times, he may be able to give you a prescription. Carpal tunnel can be quite dangerous while in the middle of a workout. Not only can your entire arm collapse in a split second if not treated; you could damage yourself permanently.

I'll get back to this soon, the other ones are going to be rather long lol!

CHEESE2009

06-04-2009, 11:31 AM

Hey this is good stuff, keep it up. I am interested in this because I recently (last 3 months or so) began hitting the gym and eating better. I went from 203 to 185. Which is where Im at now. I am 6 ft tall, and have a lot of muscl, real strong etc. I played 4 years of football in high school and learned alot about weight training then.
What I have a hard time doing is picking out good things to eat, you know, what goes good with what (in terms of healthy) and when I go grocery shopping, what do I buy?
Anyway, thanks
Good info.

Its awesome to see you are on the right track! Nutrition & exercise come hand in hand, & many people don't even think of nutrition!

I would recommend purchasing a Body mass Index & Body fat percent calculator. For someone in sports & willing to achieve great results, this tool is a godsend.

It's written in stone that for those who want to increase muscle mass should consume 1.5 - 2 grams of protein per pound daily.

If you weigh 185 currently, we must figure out how much of that weight is muscle mass, bone mass, & body fat. Because we don't necessarily want to feed every pound on our body, we just want to feed our muscles.

I would recommend for you to eat high carb/high protein on the days you are playing football, or when active.

The days where you are inactive, I recommend for you to eat low carb/high protein.

So the question one should ask, "What the heck do I eat?"

Well the truth is, it takes patience & a few trips to the grocery store to read package labels.

You are building muscle mass, & you want to gain clean mass, you do not want to get 1 pound of fat per every pound of muscle.

If you enjoy beef, I recommend purchasing "Ground Beef" the beef we make hamburgers out of, & make sure you get it lean.

It's easiest to cook ground beef in a frying pan, just fry it up until there is no pink. Now it's time to add Soya Sauce, it will create a brand new & delicious flavor!

You still need carbs though! Why not fry up a few onions, red/green peppers & mix it in with your ground beef. Now you can use a whole grain slice of bread or (there are wraps) and put your creation into the bread or wrap & enjoy. You can always add barbeque sauce, but don't overdo it.

Another great source of protein is turkey, the protein quality is better than chicken. I wouldn't suggest buying the small packages, but purchase it in bulk. You'll be eating it faster than you think & those small packages would probably be too small for a single meal for you.

I'm not a fan of cereal or oatmeal. Especially because the cereal you'll have to eat will suck. I recommend in order, best to least favored breakfast solutions;

Everything above is decent & inexpensive, but should be consumed with fruit, maybe a banana? A banana will supply your body with healthy sugars & extra carbs early in the morning, setting you up for a wonderful day.

Little's

06-04-2009, 11:42 PM

Hey thanks that was helpful. One of these days I may hire you to draw me up a list of foods/meals that I should buy or prepare in advance. That way I will be more likely to stick to it and take my meals with me for the day. I am pretty good at controlling my urges to eat junk. every now and then I do, but I guess thats ok.